Final Report Template

Final Repport

NEIWPCC Job Code: 0100-306-010

Project Code: L-2014-033

Prepared by: Walter Opuszynski Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Date Submitted: January 31, 2015

Date Approved: February 27, 2015

Aquatic Invasive Wash Station and Boater Survey Project

Contact Information ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Walter Opuszynski, Trail Director

4403 Main Street, Waitsfield, VT 05673

Office: (802)496-2285 ext.2 Fax: (802)329-2239 [email protected]

This is a Lake Champlain Basin Program funded project 54 West Shore Road Grand Isle, VT 05458 802.372.3213 www.lcbp.org Aquatic Invasive Wash Station and Boater Survey Project-Final Report

This project was funded by an agreement awarded by the [Environmental Protection Agency/Great Lakes Fishery Commission] to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program. NEIWPCC manages LCBP’s personnel, contract, grant, and budget tasks and provides input on the program’s activities through a partnership with the LCBP Steering Committee.

Although the information in this document has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection agency under agreement CE982720010 to NEIWPCC, it has not undergone the Agency’s publications review process and therefore, may not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred. The viewpoints expressed here do not necessarily represent those of NEIWPCC, the LCBP Steering Committee, or EPA, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or causes constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Executive Summary

The NFCT is comprised of 22 rivers, 56 lakes and ponds, and 50 miles of portage trail. Many paddlers create multiple day trips that link waterways creating a situation that requires diligence to ensure that aquatic invasives are not transferred from one waterbody to another. In 2011 the NFCT began developing tools to ensure that paddlers would not spread invasives along the trail corridor with the hopes and intent that the products created could be used by other water trails. This was done by (1)Working nationally to develop appropriate, endorsed paddler specific aquatic invasive spread prevention protocol (2)Installation of aquatic invasive spread prevention signage at appropriate locations across the NFCT (3)Creation and dissemination of educational materials to teach paddlers aquatic invasive spread prevention technique.

Even though the Clean Drain Dry process is simple in nature it seemed that there were several barriers preventing paddlers from carrying out the process. We also realized that land and river managers lacked a feedback system that would inform them if current AI spread prevention systems were effective. These challenges shaped the products that were created through this project.

AI Wash Station

To ensure that the Clean Drain Dry process was being performed by paddlers at priority locations we have developed an Aquatic Invasive (AI) Wash Station. The AI Wash Station design was tested and refined in 2014 with the support of this grant. We installed an AI Wash Station at Louie’s Landing in the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. This location was chosen as a priority because of the high degree of paddler traffic it experiences combined with the fact that NFCT Through Paddlers (paddlers who complete the NFCT in one expedition) cross Lake Champlain from the outlet of the Saranac River and continue their journey up the Missisquoi River-passing by Louie’s Landing not long after their transition from Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain contains several aquatic invasive species of great concern; one of extreme concern is the spiny water flea, recently confirmed. The spiny water flea can go unnoticed; sticking to a paddle or hull and without performing the Clean Drain Dry process paddlers can bring this invasive up the Missiquoi River. This scenario is a perfect example of the need for a designated location with appropriate infrastructure to clean, drain, and dry paddle crafts.

of 12 Aquatic Invasive Wash Station and Boater Survey Project-Final Report

AI Spread Prevention User Survey

To better understand the knowledge base of boaters in regards to aquatic invasives and the Clean Drain Dry process we performed an in person survey at Louie’s Landing. This was combined with an on-line survey to reach a broader audience. The in-person survey was also used as an opportunity to perform direct education and outreach.

The winter and spring of 2014 were used to:  Prepare the AI wash station plans  Develop a user survey that would give us adequate feedback about the effectiveness of the Clean Drain Dry and aquatic invasive education campaign and be easy to implement

During this time we continued to work with our contacts at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. It was suggested by the Refuge that we use our opportunity for public contact to solicit feedback that would also aid in management of the resource. We determined that this would not have a negative impact on our user survey and weaved in a section of questions that allowed boaters to give feedback on Refuge management and infrastructure. This was also used as an opportunity to educate users, primarily in regards to explaining the reasons that certain sections of the Refuge were closed.

The summer of 2014 NFCT Regional Field Coordinator (RFC) and Trail Director (TD) developed the survey sheets and purchased resources for use with in-field surveys. The RFC secured needed materials for the construction of the AI Wash Station. Volunteers and NFCT Stewardship Interns installed the AI Wash Station and implemented the survey. Volunteers continued to invest time at Louie’s Landing well into the fall implementing the survey and providing educational resources to boaters using the access.

The NFCT TD coordinated the development of the AI Wash Station interpretive panel throughout the fall and winter months of 2014. The RFC processed the data retrieved from field surveys and compiled a report.

The information from the report will be used to make our public outreach more effective in the future. The interpretive panel will be installed on the AI Wash Station in the early spring of 2015 and the NFCT and MNWR will continue to monitor and maintain the structure for public use.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 2 1 Project Introduction 5 2 Tasks Completed 5 3 Methodology 10 4 Quality Assurance Tasks Completed 10 5 Deliverables Completed 11 6 Conclusions 11 7 References 12 8 Appendices 12

1 Project Introduction This project had two main aspects:  The creation and installation of a standardized Aquatic Invasive Wash Station for paddlers  The implementation of a user survey that: o Evaluated the effectiveness of current efforts to encourage boaters to use the Clean Drain Dry technique to prevent the spread of aquatic invasives o Educate boaters about the importance of aquatic invasive spread prevention

This was a pioneer project for the NFCT, and at the time it involves the only AI Wash Station of its kind specifically for paddlers. This is the ideal location for our first installation for two main reasons:  Louie’s Landing is a very active paddler access, typically the main access paddlers use to enter the Bird’s Foot Delta  NFCT Through Paddlers can easily stop at this location before continuing their paddle up the Missisquoi River

Our primary partner for this project was the Missiquoi National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge granted us permission to install the AI Wash Station at Louie’s Landing. We also worked directly with the Refuge to enhance our user survey to include feedback that would help with Refuge management.

There were several other groups that supported these projects:  Meg Modley of the Lake Champlain Basin Program helped train 3 NFCT Interns and a Missisquoi River Basin Association (MRBA) intern in best methods and protocol for implementing in-person surveys.  The Missisquoi River Basin Association allowed one of their summer interns to spend approximately 5 hours performing in-person surveys at Louie’s Landing  A volunteer trail maintainer in the NFCT Adopt-a-Segment Program volunteered approximately 3 hours implementing in-person surveys at Louie’s Landing.  The Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, the Missisquoi River Basin Association, and the Vermont River Conservancy supported our efforts by distributing the on-line survey to their distribution lists. 2 Tasks Completed Design and Installation of the Aquatic Invasive Wash Station

The design of the AI Wash Station had several phases of development. Our main goal was to produce a structure that would provide the features necessary to allow paddlers the opportunity to easily perform the Clean-Drain-Dry method. We also wanted to create a structure that was cost effective and easy to build and install, especially on sites that did not offer easy vehicular access.

We encountered several challenges during the design phase that helped shape the structure:  Locations where we envisioned installing the AI Wash Station typically did not have access to running water

 As aquatic invasives where being washed off of paddle craft we needed to ensure that they did not find their way back to the water and a location was provided where they could dry out completely with no possibility of taking root (the concern of rooting was primarily associated with Japanese Knotweed).  We needed to provide a location where quick dry towels could dry out between uses

Through the design process we were able to develop two main structures that would provide paddlers with the resources needed to accomplish the steps of the Clean-Drain-Dry process. One station was simply two saw-horses. These were used as a location to rest a paddle craft bottom up as it completely drained. While the paddle craft is draining the paddler has the opportunity to use the brush and bucket (provided as part of the Wash Station) to scrub the hull and remove any mud or vegetation. We chose not to provide bleach or any other solution that could kill living organisms because we could not create an environment or process where we were sure that the people using the AI Wash Station would not accidentally harm themselves. Also continually supplying which ever solution was endorsed as the killing agent would become a maintenance burden that our resources could not perpetually accommodate. Once the entire hull was brushed the next step was to use the bucket to rinse all of the aquatic debris off and on to a surface (either concrete or crushed stone) where the vegetation would be allowed to dry out and die without the opportunity to take root. To help ensure that the rain barrel had a continual supply of water we added rain gutters to the roof of the dry station that would divert rain water into the rain barrel. A spigot on the rain barrel would allow paddlers to easily access the water as needed. This system is user-friendly and reduces the amount of maintenance required during the paddle season, but also requires that the rain barrel be drained and removed from the site at the end of the paddle season so the water does not freeze and damage the barrel or spigot.

Once the paddle craft was drained and clean of aquatic debris it became necessary to dry it completely. The drying of the paddle craft became the most important step in the process. Aquatic life cannot survive in a dry environment.

The main goal of the AI Wash Station became: 1. Turning the paddle craft over, opening any compartments, and allowing it to completely drain 2. Removing as much aquatic debris as possible with the brush and rinse method 3. Using a “quick dry” towel (provided) to dry the inside and outside of the paddle craft

The “quick dry” towel is a modern towel design made of synthetic micro-fibers that draw moisture across the expanse of the towel facilitating a much quicker dry time than large loop towel made of organic materials.

To aid in the process of the “quick dry” towel drying out between uses, and also to ensure that the towel remained with the structure a retractable leash is attached to it. The retractable leash is affixed in such a way that when the line attached to the towel is drawn in the towel hangs in place, suspended under the protection of the roof in such a way that it is exposed to air flow from the occasional breeze and sunlight.

To ensure that the brush and bucket stay in place the two were also tethered to the Dry Station.

Original draft of the Drain-Clean Station.

Draft of the mounting bracket used to secure the wooden saw horses to the concrete at Louie’s Landing.

Draft of the revised Dry Station. This version was installed at Louie’s Landing.

Volunteers at the NFCT Waterway Work Trip performing the Clean and Drain process on the saw horses. This is at the end of the volunteer weekend at Louie’s Landing on July 6th 2014.

Volunteers transfer their canoe to the Dry Station.

NFCT Interns and Waterway Work Trip participants pose near the constructed AI Wash Station at Louie’s Landing on July 6th, 2014.

Implementation of the User Survey

See attached report “Aquatic Species Spread Prevention: User Survey and Assessment”

3 Methodology AI Wash Station

In the winter of 2015 the NFCT will be developing a step by step construction process and materials list based on the AI Wash Station design that was installed at Louis Landing in 2014. These designs will become part of the NFCT management plan standards and made available to other water trails for use.

4 Quality Assurance Tasks Completed QAPP Tasks

A Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) was required for the Aquatic Invasive Spread Prevention Survey aspect of our project. As part of the QAPP we identified the following tasks:

1. Train NFCT Stewardship Interns and Community Interns in user outreach and survey techniques. 2. Interns collect survey information over the course of the summer using questionnaire template. 3. Questionnaire regarding AI knowledge and use of spread prevention techniques is further disseminated through a targeted web-based platform. 4. Program QA Officer conducts QA of data collected

All tasks were completed as described in the QAPP.

Incomplete questionnaires were used in the analysis on a question by question basis; all percentages reported are based on number of complete responses per question. Due to the logic flow of the survey (with some questions being answered by only a subset of the respondents) many questions are inherently incomplete.

In person surveys were completed on individual survey sheets by surveyors and mailed or hand delivered to NFCT staff. All collected field sheets were entered into an Excel spreadsheet by NFCT Field Coordinator Noah Pollock. Electronic surveys were collected using LimeSurvey software and exported for analysis as a .csv file prior to import into Excel for analysis on an NFCT staff member's computer.

All collected forms will be stored in a filing cabinet at the NFCT office in Waitsfield, VT. All collected survey forms will also be scanned and stored on the NFCT server. The Excel spreadsheet with compiled response data will be stored on the NFCT server and shared with the Lake Champlain Basin Program contact.

Challenges Encountered

Total responses to the survey did not reach the original targeted goal of 200 respondents. The in- person surveys combined with the on-line survey totaled 122 respondents. There were deviations that occurred between the in-person and on-line surveys that made some questions potentially in-applicable. This issue was solved by creating questions in the on-line survey that would allow respondents to skip over sections that did not apply to them, for instance, if they had never visited the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. We feel that our ability to craft the survey so that respondent did not have to read multiple questions of little relevance to their situation increased our completion rate.

5 Deliverables Completed AI Wash Station

As part of this project we installed an AI Wash Station and developed drafted structure designs. We also created an interpretive panel with simple graphics and text to easily guide users through the Clean-Drain-Dry process using the resources provided with the AI Wash Station.

AI Spread Prevention Boater Survey

As a deliverable a report was created that summarizes the results and take-aways of the survey. This survey provided us with valuable insight into the effectiveness of our current efforts to relay the Clean-Drain-Dry message to boaters. 6 Conclusions AI Wash Station

We have determined that the AI Wash Station is an effective visual for raising awareness of the need to perform the Clean Drain Dry process when transitioning between water bodies. There are still refinements that need to occur for this structure to be as user-friendly and effective as possible:  In 2014 we had not developed the interpretive panel, but as a place holder installed a laminated sheet explaining how to use the AI Wash Station structure. We feel that with

the addition of the interpretive panel more paddlers will be drawn to the station and with clear visuals describing how to perform the Clean Drain Dry process with the provided infrastructure more people will likely participate.  We are still experimenting with various retractable cord systems to find one that is cost effective and durable. The retractable cord needs to be strong enough to draw the towel back to the shelter of the roof. The retractable cord that was installed at Louie’s Landing did not remain effective the entire paddle season. The spring inside eventually could not draw the towel back into the right position under the roof and it was left to paddlers to deliver the towel to the hanger under the roof of their own accord.  We also determined that we need to raise more awareness of the availability of the AI Wash Station and how to properly use it. This can be done through two methods: o Creating clearly visible signage that can be seen by paddlers from the water informing them of the availability of the AI Wash Station and encouraging them to use it before proceeding further up or down stream o Developing a video that can be imbedded on websites visited by the appropriate target audience informing them of the dangers of spread of aquatic invasives and giving a tutorial on the Clean Drain Dry process, specifically how to use the AI Wash Stations  Our next step is to determine how much use the AI Wash Station receives over the course of the paddle season. This can be done in conjunction with observation that can occur through MNWR staff visits, site visits from NFCT staff and volunteers, and possibly through the installation of a sign-in box. Observation of use can also help us determine how to make the structure more effective in the future.

7 References

8 Appendices Appended Documents:

Attach any articles, press releases (which should acknowledge partnership with LCBP), a list of acronyms and published documents pertaining to this project

Photos: Email or mail a CD to your Project Officer with any photo documentation you have of your project with proper photo credit that LCBP can use in future publications.

Electronic Data: Email or mail a CD to your Project Officer with any electronic datasets you have generated through your project.